Former FC Dallas player, academy director, assistant coach and head coach Oscar Pareja will be making his return to Toyota Stadium on Sunday for the first time on the opposing sideline.

Pareja's new side, Club Tijuana, is preparing for the Liga MX Apertura (opening season) with a series of friendlies before its first league match against Puebla on July 19. Xolos finished eighth in the Clausura (closing season), falling in the quarterfinals of the playoffs to eventual finalist Leon.

FC Dallas, however, is in the middle of its season and is finishing a run of five matches in 15 days.

While the friendly presents an opportunity for players to connect with their former coach, the timing isn't ideal. Dallas is coming off a hard-fought 2-0 victory over D.C. United on Thursday but will be off after Sunday's exhibition until July 13 against Minnesota.

Not wanting to burn out his players, FCD coach Luchi Gonzalez will start reserves.

"We will most likely start a reserve group to play the majority of the game," Gonzalez said. "We're looking to close the game with some starters. Not all, but some."

For midfielder Paxton Pomykal, it will be the first time he's seen Pareja since the coach's departure in November. Pomykal, signed as a Homegrown product, made his MLS debut under the Colombian coach and credits Pareja for his growth during their time together.

"It's going to be cool to see them," Pomykal said of Pareja and his assistants, Fabian and Josema Bazan. "It'll be fun to see old familiar faces and get some minutes in for guys who haven't gotten minutes and guys who are getting minutes."

Sunday's match will be the first Gonzalez has coached against his mentor in official competition. It will be another learning opportunity for the first-year head coach as he continues to add more to his list of experiences.

"It's great, get to see Oscar, he's a [role] model to me, and I get to give him a hug and see him share stories and share experiences," Gonzalez said. "It's a great opportunity on and off the field. At the end of the day, our No. 1 focus is resting tonight, being prepared for good training ... taking advantage of the scrimmage"